Of Meetings and Interviews, Part Two
It was a peaceful morning for Fluttershy. She had to wake up earlier than usual, though, as this was the day that she would meet Thalion. She made haste and prepared the food for all the animals. "Oh... I just hope he isn't too scary..." Fluttershy said as she remembered how Apple Bloom described him. She shuddered at the thought of meeting a huge dragon. "Oh my... I just hope I don't offend him." She paced back and forth as she finished placing the bowls. "What if he gets angry at me? What if I ruin the meeting? What if... what if..." She sighed as she glanced down at an irritated white bunny. "Oh Angel, what do you think?" The bunny then lifted his paw and dropped it as he rolled his eyes. "You're right... I shouldn't think like that. He did save Apple Bloom. Maybe he's a nice dragon..." She gasped as soon as she grabbed the ingredients for what appeared to be a salad. "Maybe he likes animals! Oh, I can't wait to ask if he has a pet!" She beamed as she gave Angel a salad. She then glanced at the time. "Oh my, it's almost 7:30! I'd better get going!" She checked her mirror as she brushed her mane. She then went downstairs and nuzzled the animals inside. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Fluttershy! Are you up?" A familiar voice can be heard.
Fluttershy went to the door and opened it, greeting her friend in the process. "Good morning, Rainbow." She then saw a white unicorn walking alongside two fillies. "Good morning, Fluttershy!" cried Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Good morning, girls!" Rarity said as she walked next to Rainbow. "Oh... wow... you're all up early." She smiled, hiding behind her mane as she greeted everypony. "Why of course, dear! One should never miss a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Rainbow Dash then snickered. "Yeah, that. And not the gems and silk you might get." Rarity was not amused. The snickering pony then flew upwards and did a loop as she landed in front of all of them. "I'm going to meet a hero! AN ANCIENT HERO! I can't wait to talk about fighting bad guys and the cool stuff he has!" She then lifted her hoof. "This is going to be so awesome!" Scootaloo cheered alongside Rainbow Dash as she fluttered in the air.
"Ahem," Rarity exclaimed, making sure that she had gathered everyone's attention. "Perhaps we should go? I do not want to miss out on the schedule Mr. Thalion gave us." Fluttershy went outside as she said her goodbyes to her pet animals. She then joined the group who were now headed towards Applejack's farm. With some idle chitchat here and there to keep themselves entertained, Rarity then talked about the dragon that they were about to encounter. "I must say, I am a bit... worried." This prompted the whole group to look at her. "Oh... you too?" Fluttershy spoke out. "Well, we are meeting someone who has been sealed away for Celestia knows how long. Perhaps he would have a hard time understanding us." Everypony then looked at each other. Sweetie Belle then spoke. "Maybe we should ease him in?" Rarity nuzzled her little sister. "Oh, you are most certainly right!" She then looked at Rainbow Dash. "Which means no sudden shouting and or questions about fighting, okay?" Rainbow rolled her eyes at the comment. "Better say that to Pinkie, too! You know how she is with newcomers."
Back at the barn, a sitting Thalion can be seen mingling with the Apple family. Toast with butter and eggs at the side, warm milk, and apple pies can be seen at the table. It is what he would call a normal breakfast, to some extent, at least. "Make yerself at home, sugarcube!" Applejack said, passing Thalion a plate. "Your hospitality is truly appreciated." Thalion then looked at the mare preparing breakfast alongside her brother. Her love for her family is powerful enough to move mountains. "Most intriguing." Thalion said, not realizing that he had said it aloud. "What is?" Apple Bloom said, allowing Thalion to catch is mistake. "Your family's hospitality, Apple Bloom. Not many would dare invite a being such as myself into their homes." Apple Bloom then nodded. "Understandable, Thaly." She said, mimicking Thalion's actions. Applejack finally sat down alongside her brother. She then looked at Thalion and gulped. "He has... quite sharp teeth." She thought to herself. She shook her head and told herself not to judge him based on appearance alone. "He saved Apple Bloom, for darn's sake!" Thalion noticed this and asked Applejack. "Are you alright, Applejack?" She nodded and spoke. "Ya bet yer flank Ah am!" This prompted Thalion to nod as he proceeded to eat the toasted bread.
She has to say it now, otherwise, it would only hinder her later. She spoke once again, "Thalion, thank ya kindly for savin' my lil' sister... Ah don't know what to do if she were..." She stopped, tears forming in her eyes. "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm just-" She stopped as she felt something on her withers. Something light and warm. She then looked at Thalion. "You need not apologize. You were scared and devastated, fearing for your little sister." A claw reached in and wiped her tears, the sensation making her heart skip a beat. This was not a monster to be feared; this was a kindred soul. "Th-thank ya..." Apple Bloom then squealed with delight, prompting Applejack to stare at her sister. "In my culture, crying in front of food can lead to bad luck. Wipe away your tears, dear Applejack." She did so and proceeded to enjoy breakfast.
"So, where are ya from?" Granny Smith asked. Thalion then shook his head as he answered. "My apologies, Granny Smith. All questions about me shall be answered soon, together with the rest." He then gave her an apologetic smile. "Bah! Fine then, keep yer secrets." This made everypony in the table laugh. Just then, as soon as Applejack was about to take a bite from her toast, a knock can be heard. "Ah'll get it!" Apple Bloom said. She dashed towards the door and opened it. She then saw a lavender unicorn with a young dragon on her back, as well as a pink pony bouncing up and down. "Good mornin', Twilight! Mornin' Spike! Mornin' Pinkie!" She gleefully said, earning the chuckles from Twilight. "Good morning, Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom then lead them into the kitchen. Expecting to see everypony from the Apple family, they quickly followed Apple Bloom. They gasped at what they saw. They weren't expecting to see a dragon as black as the void, with purple highlights on his horns and tail, and deep red eyes peering into their soul. The intense gaze made the visitors tremble. The dragon then stood, and much to the surprise of the visitors, bowed. "Apologies for making you tremble. I am aware of what my gaze can do." As he looked towards the guests, a pink pony was suddenly on his snout. Not bothered by the sudden interaction, Thalion spoke to the pony. "Greetings, pink one." Pinkie Pie then gasped and spoke in a high-pitched tone. "Oh my gosh, you must be Thalion! It's so nice to meet you! What's your favorite cake? Do you even like cakes? What about cupcakes? DO YOU LIKE PARTIES? Ohh, I'm so excited!" She squeaked with pure joy. Twilight and Spike looked at each other, awaiting what would happen. Then, a faint exhale can be heard from Thalion. "Indeed, I am Thalion, dear pink one. Apologies though, for I will only answer what you ask of me if and only if you are all present." Twilight then looked at Thalion with a confused look. "And why is that?" Spike asked, not knowing that Twilight was going to ask the same question.
"I do not wish to repeat myself. I find it tiring at times, especially when I talk to some villagers back at my home." Thalion hid his annoyance well, as everypony present just nodded and accepted that as truth. As he finished his meal, Thalion stood up and went outside. "Thank you for the feast, dear Apple Family. It was indeed delightful." This prompted Applejack to look at the now leaving dragon. "Wait a sec' there, sugarcube. Where are ya goin'?" Thalion then looked at Applejack and the rest of the ponies. He then spoke. "I shall return to the place where Apple Bloom found me gazing at the sun. I find that place very much to my liking, if that is alright with you all. Perhaps our little interview should take place there." He then bowed at the ponies.
Apple Bloom waved as she shouted. "See ya at 7:30!"
Deep within the empty undercroft of Wroughtdrake Citadel, Carrion was preparing for his quest to bring back Thalion. He had prepared vials of his own poison in case his master asked for it, as well as mana potions for long stakeouts and certain magical scrolls that could help him if the need arose. He had prepared the notes from the now-dead Lucas, the unfortunate soul who helped with the sealing. With him, Thalion got sealed away, yet that did not bother him. What bothered him most was that this young mage brought him to another world, something that Rictos did not anticipate. While he agreed to the initial plan, he did not want his master to suffer further in another world. He then prepared his own personal items; a necklace made of silver, engraved with the words of promise, and a tiny parchment with three figures on it.
As he finished, he closed his eyes and chanted magic words to open the portal. A few seconds later, a black void whirls in front of him. Suddenly, a low but respectful voice called out to him. "Lord Carrion," an elderly being said in a hushed tone, "are you sure you do not need assistance?". Carrion then looked at the elderly novasaurian and nodded his head. "Await for further instructions, Aratorias. In my absence, you are in command. Do not make hasty decisions." Aratorias nodded as another being spoke. "Master Carrion, all preparations are complete. We will now depart towards Moldruin." Rictos said as he bowed in the presence of their master. "Excellent. See to it that there are no prisoners. Remind them of their enemy."
"Ah, Master Carrion, it is good to see that you are still here." Talios said, trying to hide his fear with a mocking tone. "Not to be rude, Master, but why must you save Thalion? If he dies there, then you are now in command of all of us. So why risk it?" Carrion then looked at Talios as he spoke in a condescending tone. "It is not him being alive that I fear. It is when he dies that I fear." Aratorias and Rictos shuddered, as they were the only ones out of the twelve to ever know about it. It's why Rictos even proposed the idea of sealing their master in the first place. When Talios looked at the cowering beings, he dared ask Carrion. "What in the world would happen if he died?!" Talios said, no longer able to hide his fear. Carrion, as he is stepping into the portal, looked one last time at the deroswolf. "Watch yourself, a curse plagues this land."
With that cryptic message, Carrion stepped forward and vanished before their eyes.
It was 7:30 in the morning, with everypony following Apple Bloom towards the clearing where Thalion sat. Two of the ponies were jealous that their friends got to meet Thalion without them. Rarity huffed while Rainbow rolled her eyes, causing every Element bearer to snicker at them. They then stopped where Thalion rested, gazing at the sun once again. The newer guests were, of course, shocked to see him, something that he had gotten used to for so many years. He bowed to them, allowing them all to gaze at him with awe. "Oh... my..." Fluttershy said, almost falling down on her flank. The two other Cutie Mark Crusaders were in awe. They could not turn away as they saw this dragon in front of them. Rainbow almost fell from her flight when she spotted his black scales and red eyes. In front of them was a dragon that did not bear any resemblance to any of the dragons in Equestria. Spike gulped as he looked at the dragon. If this was his shrunken size, how big was his true size?
"Greetings, ponies of this world." The mere voice shook everyone who haven't met him during breakfast. "Be not afraid, I am but your humble guest." Everypony then sat down in front of him. As they did so, Thalion looked around before kneeling as to not intimidate them. "Forgive me, for I do not know your names apart from the Apple family." This prompted Pinkie Pie to raise her hoof. "Oh, me, me! Hi! My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie! I love parties! Do you love parties? I hope you do! Oooohh I also have three siblings who I love very much, annnnd-" she was stopped by Applejack, who apologized to Thalion. Much to the surprise of everypony though, Thalion did not seem fazed as he greeted Pinkie Pie. With this act of simple kindness, Fluttershy mustered all her courage and spoke. Perhaps Thalion isn't so bad as she first thought. "Hello, m-my name is... Fluttershy..." She paused for a bit before continuing. "It's nice to meet you... Thalion... Oh my, I'm sorry if I interrupted..." She hid behind her mane as she spoke. Expecting the worst, she knelt and covered her eyes. However, a soft tone can only be heard from the "offended" creature.
"Greetings, Fluttershy. You need not be afraid of me, nor would you need to apologize. You have not offended me with your words." With that said, Fluttershy allowed herself a moment to breathe. Rainbow Dash then spoke as she flew towards Thalion's snout and posed. "The name's Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in ALL of Equestria and future Wonderbolt!" Expecting Thalion to be impressed, Rainbow smirked at the thought of a hero being in awe of her awesome feats. Noticing this, Thalion bowed at the pegasus. "It is a pleasure to meet one such as yourself, Rainbow Dash. You are truly as amazing as you say." Suddenly, a white unicorn stepped forward, bowing towards Thalion. "Greetings, Sir Thalion. My name is Rarity, proud owner of the Carousel Boutique. Oh, it is a pleasure to meet somepony, err, somecreature such as yourself who articulates with fine words and acts with manners." She then glances at Rainbow Dash, "Unlike somepony who brags almost immediately." As Rainbow scoffs at Rarity, Thalion bows at the majestic unicorn. "Indeed, it is a pleasure, Miss Rarity. It is an honor to meet royalty, one who is as sophisticated as yourself." And with that comment, Rarity blushed upon hearing such words. Nopony has ever thought of her as royalty, let alone a dragon.
Twilight stepped forward, allowing Spike to get down before she spoke. "H-hello, Thalion" she coughed as she continued, "I am Swilight Tparkle, I mean, Twilight Sparkle." Embarrassed by this, Spike decided to help out. However, before he spoke, he belched. A scroll appears from the young drake's flames. Twilight, by instinct, grabbed hold of the scroll with her magic. This amused Thalion as he watched the two, Twilight reading what was written in the scroll while Spike was trying to hide himself after the failed attempt to make a greeting. He looked at the now embarrassed young drake as he bowed towards them. "Greetings, Spike. Apple Bloom spoke much about you. In fact, you are the reason as to why I am in this form."
"Oh wow, really? I hope she didn't tell you much." Spike then looked at Twilight, who was busy removing the seal from the scroll. "It's nice to meet you, Tha-" the young drake did not get to finish.
"It's from Princess Celestia!" She exclaimed. Celestia. Thalion recalled what Apple Bloom told him. She told him that this Celestia being was their Princess, their ruler alongside another known as Luna. He recalled her saying that they are the ones who control the sun and the moon. Quite powerful... Powerful indeed. She was reading it silently, piquing the interests of everypony. "Well? What's it about?" Rainbow Dash asked, curious as to why Twilight wasn't reading it aloud as she used to. Twilight, noticing the gazes, decided to read the message aloud.
Twilight then coughed as she read the letter.
"My faithful student Twilight,
While I had received your message early on, I was unfortunately attending a meeting at that time. With that, I apologize for not writing back as soon as possible. I find it odd that a structure has been found underneath the Everfree Forest. When you sent me some runes carved within this structure, I tried to find out more about it. I scoured the library, even within the restricted sections, and found nothing that matched this language. Not even Star Swirl's books, my mentor, studious as he is, had any recordings whatsoever of such writings. It seemed ancient, to say the least. If possible, I would like to ask you to bring some items from this place, as I will ask my top archeologists to identify what time period this came from.
Regarding dear Apple Bloom's disappearance, I do hope that no harm befalls the young filly. That she has been found safe, with no injuries whatsoever. Dear Applejack must be worried, and as a sister, I feel her sorrow. May you find Apple Bloom safe and sound. By the time you read this, I hope Apple Bloom has returned, safe and within Applejack's arms."
Twilight then hovered over other text within the message. She decided not to read this part aloud for her friends to hear.
Twilight, this worries me so. I felt something before the defeat of Discord a few days back. I'm afraid that I do not know what we are up against, should something come and attack us. Please, be safe. Those runes bear a bit of darkness within them, for when I tried to decipher them with my own magic, I felt a surge of darkness, of dread, of sorrow. Twilight, whatever it is within those ruins, I fear it might bring darkness.
This made the gears in Twilight's head move. She then proceeded to read out the last words so as to not garner suspicion.
"Once again, I apologize for not sending this letter sooner, and that I hope Apple Bloom is back home with her family. Sincerely, your mentor, Princess Celestia."
As Twilight rolled the parchment, she called out to Spike to prepare her quill and parchment. She then saw Applejack ruffling her little sister's mane. Twilight then walked forwards, now more confident than before. "Mr. Thalion, would it be alright to ask you some questions?"
Thalion nodded, noting to Twilight that this is why they were here in the first place.
The group of ponies and a young drake then huddled together, making a plan in order to be more organized. They all agreed that each pony would have three questions each. Whatever it was, whether the topic was about parties or about their world, they would not interrupt each other. And if somepony has already asked about the same thing, then they should not repeat the question. Applejack then coughed, looking at Thalion. "Ehh, 'scuse me Thalion, but if yer alright, we would like to begin." Thalion then nodded, allowing himself to be comfortable. He then asked everycreature present if he could turn back to his "normal" self, seeing that he did not need to be a dragon. They nodded and saw him transform into this bipedal being. He had teeth on his cheeks, claws and scales on his arms, and a massive tail trailing behind him. It was almost as if he transformed into Spike, although a bit more vicious looking.
Applejack started as she coughed, fixing her Stetson that rested atop her head. "Apple Bloom tried to speak yer full name, but she can't. What is yer full name?" Thalion then spoke in a calm demeanor. "Omnidiah Thalion." Not saying much more, Applejack nodded. "And, uh, how old are ya?"
"I am close to thirty thousand." This made everyone look at him with shock. "C-come again?" Thalion then said it again with a monotoned expression. "I am close to being thirty thousand years old." This made Rainbow Dash rub her eyes. "Talk about really, really, REALLY ancient." Applejack then pondered. "So, uh, Apple Bloom told us about a war... How long were ya fighin' in it?" Thalion then looked at the sky, allowing time to count the many dreadful years of war. "For twenty-five thousand years. I was sealed soon after, and for five thousand years, I was not in the middle of a warzone." They all looked at him in a new light. He looked tired.
Pinkie Pie, deciding that she would want to cheer evercreature up, decided to go next. "Do you like parties?" Thalion then shook his head as he chuckled, knowing that this pony would ask him about that. "Indeed, only on specific occasions, though." Pinkie Pie then clapped her hooves. She then thought of a great question. "What type of party? Like a Birthday Party or a Wedding Party?" Amused, Thalion then answered. "If I must choose, I'd say that a Landentrogg would fit me best." Pinkie, wanting to know about this "Landentrogg" party, decided to ask her final question. "What's a Landentrogg?" Thalion, who picked up the pink pony and placed her near him, simply said with a somber tone. "It is a gathering for every family member to enjoy the winter. They would share stories, drinks, food, but most of all, they would be together on such cold days." Pinkie Pie then bounced. "How do you celebrate it?" Thalion then shook his head as he spoke. "Perhaps another time, Pinkie, for you have asked three questions already." Pinkie Pie pouted, but she didn't seem to be sad.
Rarity, inspired by Thalion's explanation of family, decided to ask. "Sir Thalion, do you have a family?" A question she quickly regrets as Thalion looks at her with contempt on his face. He went silent. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and exhaled. "Proceed to your other question, Rarity." The lack of compassion from somecreature who used to speak with class sent shivers down her spine. That warm tone, gone in an instant. "Ah, yes, um..." She paused, looking back at Thalion. "About that silk and those gems... they were simply divine!" Trying to bring back the mood, she showed Thalion what she was talking about.
"Ah, Mythren gems. Indeed, very rare. These can only be found at the mountains of Korlecchiah." He then looked at the silk. "And these are silk made by the finest crafters of Irunia. Apologies, Rarity, but this silk could not be made by your weavers, as the process can only be done in my homeland." Managing to suppress that anger, Thalion went back to the tone the ponies knew. Noticing this, Rarity discarded that sense of guilt and asked one more question. Hopefully, she does not agitate him even more. "Ahem, about your clothing... It seems old and tattered. Do you want me to prepare you something new?" Thalion then looked down, noticing the tattered cloth of his once royal clothing. "If you insist, though, if possible, I would want it to look exactly as this one." Rarity, despite wanting to do more, simply acknowledged Thalion's request.
Rainbow Dash was next. "Do you like to fly?" Thalion answered simply. "Yes." She then placed a hoof on her chin, thinking about what to ask next. "Did you, uhh, fight bad guys?" Thalion then laughed. "Of course, I've battled a lot, and no one has yet to win. The mere mention of my name strikes fear to those who are villainous." This prompted Rainbow Dash to hoof bump in the air. "What is your greatest feat?" She asked, wanting to hear more about Thalion. "I handled an army by myself, waiting for assistance. They came three days later and saw me as the victor." Of course, a part of this was a lie. He did handle an army on his own, that much is true, but he never asked for assistance nor did he ask for reinforcements. "That is... so... awesome!" Rainbow Dash said, doing a loop in the air. She then presented her hoof towards Thalion, telling him to bump it with his hands, and he did so.
Fluttershy was next, simply hugging a passing beaver on her chest as she gently floated towards Thalion. "Umm... hello again... Do you like animals?" Nervous about his answer, she gently caressed the beaver's head. "Indeed, I do." She beamed with joy. "What type of animals do you have?" Thalion pondered. "I have the same animals seen here. Beavers, ducks, and even tiny mice." Fluttershy then landed as she let the beaver go on his merry way. She then floated near Thalion as she spoke. "Oh, I do hope that you come by my cottage! I take care of a lot of little creatures, and they'd be happy to meet you too! We can talk more about different things and-" She then landed, acknowledging her sudden outburst. "Um, sorry about that... If you don't mind, of course, you are free to come to my cottage." Thalion simply nodded in response, allowing the shy pony to gather her breath. She then floated back to where her friends were, forgetting that she could still ask another question.
As they were all asking questions and having their questions answered, Twilight wrote down the whole interaction. It was her turn. "Thalion, if I were to assume, you are from another world, right?" Thalion then nodded. "Indeed, I am from another world." She scribbled it down as she asked. "Why were you sealed and chained in a tomb?" Thalion, taken aback by the question, simply answered. "I was sealed by my enemies in their hope to stop me from vanquishing evil." Twilight took note of this. "If it is possible, would you mind allowing me more questions?" Thalion nodded. Being careful with her words, Twilight eventually spoke. "When did you last see daylight?" Thalion, knowing that this was an interrogation, spoke honestly. "A few days ago. It was a void when I was first sealed. Then, by some unknown force, I was buried underneath."
"These enemies of yours, how would you describe them?" Twilight asked, not missing a single beat. "Barbaric, unruly. A resistance, if I must say honestly." Twilight simply wrote it down, not even looking at the parchment. "About the war, you said you participated in it for twenty-five thousand years. How did that war start?" Thalion then hesitated to speak. And then, as if he didn't want to answer, he spoke in a hushed tone. "I do not know..." Twilight then asked one last question. "About the other heroes, were they your friends?" Thalion, visibly annoyed now, tried to calm himself first before speaking. "They are..."
With that response, Twilight asked Spike to take a letter. "Will you excuse us for a moment?" Thalion nodded. After a few moments, the dragon breathed fire onto the parchment; the smoke travelling towards a certain mountain. They both then returned. "Thank you, Thalion, for your time."
The rest of the interview went well, with the CMC's thanking him while also asking questions of their own, and seeing that Twilight asked more than three questions, they decided to ask a lot. Granny forgot what she wanted to ask, earning the chuckles of Applejack and Big Mac. And with a brief goodbye to Thalion, the ponies left.
"Something feels off... why was he sealed in the first place" Twilight asked, making sure that they were out of earshot.
"Uhh, duh, he said the bad guys did it because they were too afraid!" Rainbow Dash said, confident in her actions.
"But why? If the villains really did fear him, why bother sealing him in the first place? Why add chains to an already sealed being?" Twilight said, growing ever more concerned about the whole situation.
"Hold on now, sugarcube. Are ya suggestin' that Thalion may not be tellin' the whole truth?" Applejack asked. She knows that Thalion is a good fellow. If he wasn't, Apple Bloom wouldn't be here in the first place.
"He's withholding information from us, that's for certain... Have you seen his reaction when Rarity asked about his family?" Twilight said, looking at Rarity as she spoke. "Think about it. First, he was sealed, locked up in chains. Then, when asked about the other heroes, he seemed rather off. He sounds more like a prisoner, if you ask me." Twilight said.
"Hmm... Something painful must've happened. We shouldn't be quick to judge, Twilight, lest we do the same thing that we've done to Zecora..." Rarity insisted, knowing full well that judging someone hastily can lead to more misunderstandings.
"I just hope you are right, Rarity. I don't want to be paranoid..." A sigh came out from Twilight. She wanted to believe in Thalion, but his responses were just too... weird for her.
"Then... what do we do?" Fluttershy, now hiding behind her mane once again at the thought of an evil Thalion.
"Silly! We take him to Princess Celestia, she'll know what to do!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"Plus, we're the Elements of Harmony! If Thalion does become evil, we can take him!" Putting her hooves together, Rainbow Dash said.
As the ponies left, Thalion glanced towards his shadow. "There is no use trying to hide from me." Thalion said in a calm voice as his shadow morphed into a being. "Nothing seems to get by you, master." The being said in a hushed tone. "Carrion, we are alone for the moment. You need not address me as such."
"Of course, brother." Carrion answered, relieved that he could finally stop calling him as such. No one else knows, and he will see to it that no one ever does. "This world's equines... Why can I understand them? I do not speak in Algaentongue." Thalion then looked at Carrion, a glint of intrigue within his eyes. "I, myself, thought that they were mere pets or even animals. Equines of burden. However, there were no Commonfolk, Elven, or even Dwarven, that took care of these equines. It appears that they are a civilized race." Carrion cringed at the mere thought of these ponies joining "the cause". The cause is to hunt them down and end them.
"Have you heard the entire conversation?" Carrion then nodded.
"They will surely perish in our world." Carrion paused. "Do you want me to end them?" Carrion said, agitated. "No." Thalion said, with a rather calm tone. "Carrion, go to this 'Canterlot', and seek out information about the Princesses and the powers of this world. I will give you further instructions soon."
"Do you wish to use them?"
"Yes. They might be valuable assets soon." Carrion then nodded as Thalion spoke.
"Before you go, though, report to me about what has happened. I fear I might be... outdated."
"How long were you sealed?" Thalion then looked at Carrion with a great deal of rage hidden beneath a stoic expression. "Five thousand years, Carrion." Carrion shook his head. "It has only been three days for us." Thalion nodded, not affected by the new revelation. "I see." Carrion then sighed, knowing that Thalion is already thinking of a question about how he got here. "I do not know, but for what it's worth, I came here by a portal rather than through a ritual." Thalion nodded, allowing this to be the current answer to his question. Carrion then handed him something, a necklace of some sort. "You forgot this."
"Ah... this old thing." He was mesmerized by the silver necklace. He gently caressed it with his claws. "Tell me, Carrion, are you tired of this war?" Carrion simply sat next to him. "I... do not know. I hate them all, for what they've done to me and to you." Thalion then looked at the necklace. "Do you think she'll forgive us?"
"I do not know... I hope she does." Just then, Thalion coughed up blood. "Oh... I've tainted this pure land..." Thalion said, as he wiped his mouth clean of blood. Carrion, knowing that this was a side effect of his own poison, slowly grabbed his own antidote. Thalion then drank it, immediately feeling relieved. "The curse is acting up again... Are you sure you are alright, Thalion?" Thalion nodded. "I've survived worse, Carrion. This would probably be my fifth death, if not for them sealing me away..."
"Perhaps this is an omen... Carrion, see to it that you do not harm anyone of these ponies unless I give you the order." Carrion then nodded as Thalion gazed at the sun once again.
"Thirty thousand years... or close to it at least..." Carrion said silently.
"Oh, Miri..."